It was nearly 4 wide into turn 1 but everyone gave space and it was totally clean. Watch the first few laps of the replay, if you have it. Group 4 were one after another, each a second away and swapping fastest sectors. (Watch from the chase view of last car in the group and you'll see it all.)
gu1tar3rich was running at my pace just behind, so I was really trying to focus on clean lines with no mistakes. Thankfully I resisted the pressure and
he span out on lap 3, through the tricky high speed sweepers. His car was very damaged by this, although it doesn't show on replay. (Come on, PD!)
Lap 3 was also when
I set 1m49.5s and another on lap 4. That 'broke the elastic' to LOGIC so there was no chance of slipstream.
Everyone doing personal best sectors at this stage. Until lap 5 when I slipped into 1m51s again!
Lap 6 was LOGIC turn for a big crash on the high speed sweeper. Exactly the same crash and Rich! PeeStationNowork had been catching just a little each lap and I guess that sustained pressure proved decision. He rejoined extremely carefully and PeeStationNowork cautiously sneaked through.
Excellent driving from PeeStation to crack LOGIC!
LOGIC was back in the slipstream of PeeStationNowork right away.
LOGIC had a look at turn 1 of lap 7, perhaps hoping for a mistake. But there was no overlap so both kept their line. Their contest continued.
Lap 8 sees LOGIC and PeeStationNowork trading lines out of the last corner, going
side by side into turn 1 of lap 9. PeeStationNowork stays right and takes the middle lane with LOGIC on the left. PeeStationNowork brakes safely at 100m but
LOGIC brakes too late to make the corner! He returns to the track quickly (and legally - impressive sportsmanship) but is now 3.5 seconds behind.
LOGIC decides to try 1 stop strategy.
Lap 11 and gu1tar3rich has just 7 seconds behind this battle and actually lapping a couple of tenths faster. Could 2 become 3 by the half hour mark? (Currently 22 minutes in.) Daniel1990-25 pits on this lap.
Lap 12 and BenMillard (Group 4) reaches the leader on track, BMWM3csi (Group 5). About halfway round, BMWM3csi has a tank-slapper entering the complex by the pond. He keeps position but is struggling to keep the racing line. As we exit onto the big blue bridge, he clips the inside kerb and his car wobbles. I get a clean exit and we are alongside over the bridge. I should get a photo! Turns out to be an easy pass as he eases off, rather than go 2 wide into the next tunnel.
Good sportsmanship from BMWM3csi, much appreciated.
Lap 14 (26 minutes in) and PeeStationNowork approaches BMWMecsi. LOGICLINE has crept up to just 1.8 seconds behind. Both are setting lap times within the same tenth! PeeStationNowork dives to the inside in the tunnel just before the big blue bridge.
BMWM3csi realises the place is lost and leaves space - again, very good sportsmanship. (Daniel1990-25 sets fastest lap with 1m49.408s but is 1 lap down.)
Lap 15 and LOGICLINE gets a clean exit through the final hairpins. Carries the speed around the last turn and
overtakes BMWM3csi into turn 1. Textbook move with clean driving - again - from both racers. The gap from LOGICLINE to PeeStationNowork is now
a tantalising 1.5 seconds!
We reach 30 minutes in and pit stops enter my mind. I can only do 30 minutes on a set of tyres and they are actually worse than practise at
6 7, 8 9. gu1tar3rich pits at the start of this lap. I was thinking about whether to pit early and return to fast lap times or go a bit longer to avoid coming out behind traffic. I decide to hammer it this lap and
I pit at the start of lap 16, my tyres going on at 31m30.
My biggest mistake was taking full fuel at this pit stop. I had half a tank left so I should have just taken 5 litres. Ran my middle stint with 45kg of fuel I didn't need. What a noob!
PeeStationNowork also pits - into the box right in front of me! He is slow in due to the angle and I am slow out but it's only a second or so. But I'm worried about LOGICLINE, he's still on track and it could be crucial.
Lap 18 and I'm 12.2 seconds ahead of PeeStationNowork, 17 seconds behind LOGICLINE. He's still out so I start to suspect he will 1 stop. Mental arithmetic fails me...I just have to drive as clean and fast as possible to be ahead when he comes out at mid way!
BMWM3csi enters the pit lane and retires.
gu1tar3rich sets a 1m50.0s, his best lap of the race so far. He is 8 seconds behind PeeStationNowork and going a couple tenths per lap faster.
Maximum respect - this is endurance racing!
Lap 22 and 40 minutes in. I set fastest lap of 1m49.352s with the fastest first sector. The gap to LOGIC is only closing 2-3 seconds a lap yet his tyres are 30 minutes older than mine! It must have been a
super controlled drive from LOGIC. PeeStationNowork and gu1tar3rich both set
personal best laps around this time, their gap down to 7 seconds.
Bang on the mid point (45 minutes) I reach LOGICLINE. Spent 1.5 laps behind, losing time while waiting for a safe gap. This is clever - by delaying my middle stint he has more chance to jump me at my final pit stop. Lap 25 turn 1 is a pretty easy out-braking move for me.
I stay left and LOGIC stays right. By mid corner I see I'm ahead so square off the corner to turn and burn!
LOGICLINE uses my slipstream for the first quarter of the lap but his tyres are shot. He falls back. He pits at the start of lap 26
an amazing 47 minutes into the race. LOGICLINE loses 2 places during this pit stop but he's technically half a stop ahead of those drivers, projecting the gaps to the end of the race.
So at the mid point in our strategies the order is: BenMillard, PeeStationNowork, gu1tar3rich, LOGICLINE, Daniel1990-25. Everyone has optimised their fuel strategy...apart from me.
Start of lap 28 and gu1tar3rich pulls into the pits and retires. I don't understand! He had everything to race for and was performing an excellent recovery drive!
1h01m30s and PeeStationNowork pits at the start of lap 34, nearly out of fuel. He enters with a 20 second lead over LOGICLINE. Fuels just over half a tank and
drops off the jacks at 1h01m50s as LOGICLINE passes. It's a straight fight to the line, new tyres versus old!
Start of lap 34 and I pit, 1h03m. As it turned out,
I managed a quick middle stint thanks to much better pace on worn tyres. I took 10 litres just be sure I was well over half a tank - this easily fits inside the tyre change time, too.
I lost track of the other cars for a while. Lap 38 is my best lap of the race, a 1m49.016!
Daniel delivers a 1m48.8 on lap 42 from his perspective and goes 1 tenth faster on lap 47! Hopefully his performance means I won't got to G3 as I'm not on that pace - even on a track that seems to suit me perfectly.
Lap 46 and PeeStationNowork hits the wall outside the final turn. He'd clawed the gap down to
3.5 seconds to LOGICLINE. But this cost him 3 seconds and he couldn't catch up again in the last 2 laps.